Muffler and oxidizer means



Oct. 18, 1966 s. G. GERLACH 3,279,168

MUFFLER AND OXIDIZER MEANS Filed May l, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 18,1966 s. G. GERLACH MUFFLR AND OXIDIZER MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May1, 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,279,168 MUFFLER AND OXIDIZER MEANS Stephen G.Gerlach, 723 E. Providencia Ave., Burbank, Calif. Filed May 1, .1964,ser. No. 364,078 2 Claims. (Ql. 60-30) This invention relates to devicesfor oxidizing the unburned exhaust gases of internal combustion enginesand for muffling the noise of emission thereof.

In my prior Patent No. 2,986,000, dated May 30, 1961, there is shown theuse of a heavy c ast iron muffler body enclosing sound mufing and gasoxidizing means includ ing a heating means deriving power from anexternal source.

As its principal objectives, the present invention proposes both toachieve the same oxidizing result without the need for added heat energyand, additionally, to oxidize fumes developed in and received from theengine crankcase and conducted by suitable conduit means through themuler of the present invention.

With the foregoing objects in View, together with such additionalobjects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention residesin the parts, and in the con struction, combination and arrangement ofparts described, by way of example, in the following specification of apresently preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and inwhich drawings:

FIG. 1 is a reduced scale, perspective view of the mufer component ofthe invention,

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the left hand end of the mufilershown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a medial plan view of the lower half of the muler componentwith the heating tubes of the muier shown in place therein,

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional View of the muffler taken as on theline 4-4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a reduced scale, perspective View of the center tube assemblyof the muffler device,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view on the same scale as FIG. 5 of one of theside tube components,

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the centertube assembly as taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3 to show details ofinternal construction,

FIG. 8 is a top plan view with a portion broken away of the connectionof the muiiler to a crankcase breather of an engine,

p FIG. 9 is a side elevational View of FIG. 8, a portion thereof beingshown in section indicated by the line 9-9 of FIG. 8,

FIG. l0 is a bottom plan View of the crankcase breather engagingcomponent,

FIG. 11 is a perspective View of the crankcase breather engagingelement, and

FIG. l2 is a sectional view as taken on the line 1212 of FIG. 9 showingthe supporting clamp means for the crankcase to muffler conduit means.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the inventionincludes an elongated, hollow muffler component 1 having a sleeve 2 atone end thereof adapted to be connected to the engine exhaust pipe E, asleeve 3 at the opposite end thereof connected to a tail pipe T, areceptor 4, engaging the engine crankcase breather B and a conduit means5 connecting the receptor d with the interior of the muffler component1.

The muffler component includes a body structure of rectangular crosssection of greater width than height and, like that of my said priorpatent, formed of heavy iron castings to provide a capacity `for heatretention not possible with sheet metal. The mufer component is com-3,279,168 Patented Oct. 18, 1966 ICC posed of identical upper and lowerhalves 6 and 7 and these halves are secured together by pairs of boltsand nuts 8, 8 and 9, 9 extending through the end walls of the castingsadjacent the sleeves 2 and 3, respectively, and by similar bolts andnuts 10 extending through holes in bosses 11 are formed on the innerfaces of the side walls 12 of the muliler body halves. Preferably, thetop and bottom surfaces of the mufer body halves both internal andexternal, are provided with longitudinally extending ribs 13 t-oincrease the heat exchanging areas thereof and at the rear or dischargeend of the muffler component, the side walls 12, 12 converge rearwardlytoward the sleeve 3 as indicated at 14, for a purpose to be hereinafterexplained.

The interior surface of each of the muffler body halves is interruptedby a front end cross Wall 1S, an intermediate cross wall 16, and a rearend cross wall 17. Each of these cross walls at the center thereof isprovided with a semicircular notch 18 and the opposed notches of theupper and lower halves form circles in which the complementaryperipheral grooves 19 in the outer tubular component 20 of the centertube assembly are received. The center tube assembly includes the saidouter tubular component 20 and a smaller coaxially disposed innertubular component 21 secured therein by rivets 22 extending therethroughat right angles to each other, said inner tube being held in coaxialrelation by other means presently to be described.

The cross wall 16 at each side of the notch 18 therein is provided withone each of a pair of similar but smaller semicircular notches 23 whichcombine to form circular openings engaging the peripheral grooves 24 atthe midlength of the side tubes 25 which extend parallel to the centertube assembly; each of said tubes having the forward end thereof restingin one each of a pair of counterbores 26 constituting enlargements atthe downstream side of openings 27 in the front wall 15 formed byappropriate semicircular notches in the front wall. The `downstream endsof the tubes 25 terminate upstream of the rear wall 17 opposite axiallyaligned openings formed in said rear wall and the downstream ends ofsaid side tubes terminate in plug elements 27 having a reduced diameter,coaxially disposed bore 28 extending therethrough. Clamping the twohalves of the mufer body together by the bolts 8, 9 and 10, servesautomatically to secure the center tube assembly and the side tubes inplace within the body.

All of the tubes above described are formed with inwardly extendingtongue elements 29 stamped out of the sheet metal from which the tubesare formed and the tongues 29 formed in the outer tube 20 of the centertube assembly engage the outer surface of the inner tube oomponent 21and serve to hold it in coaxial relation as best shown in FIG. 7. Asshown in FIGS. 3 and 7, these tongues are disposed with the facesthereof at an acute angle to the direction of ow of gas through themuffler and are arranged helically with respect to each other and theaxis of the tube in which they are formed thus tending to impart aswirling movement to gases passing through these tubes.

Additionally, the tubes are provided with perforations 29 disposedmidway between adjacent ones of the tongues 29 and said perforations arealso provided forwardly of the front cross Wall 15.

In addition to the tube securing notches formed in the edge facesthereof, the cross walls 15, 16 and 17 at each juncture thereof with theside walls 12 are notched as at 30 and between each of the side tubesand the center tube assembly, these walls are also notched as at 31 andadditionally, these walls are provided with notches 32 at the bottom ofthe center tube assembly receiving notches to further permit the flow ofgas through the muffler. The notches 30, 3l and 32 provide openings topermit the ilow of such of the exhaust gases as do not flow through thetubes from the front or entrant end to the discharge end and tail pipe.In addition to the foregoing, the rear cross wall 17 is provided withopposite the disposed semicircular notches 33 which are in axialalignment with the side tubes forming the said openings opposite thetubes 25 and which receive gases being emitted from the side tubes.Thus, exhaust gases entering through the sleeve 2 will trave-l throughthe muffler passing through the various tubes and also externallythereof to the sleeve 3 and the tail pipe associated therewith.

The theory of operation of the device, so far as exhaust gases isconcerned, is that the heavy wall construction of the muler retains andbuilds up heat from the hot exhaust gases and that eventually the tubesand more particularly the tongue elements thereof become sufficientlyhot to ignite and oxidize any unburned component of the exhaust gases.

The receptor means 4 is provided to conduct fumes and gases developed inthe engine crankcase to the muffler; said receptor means being moreparticularly shown in FIGS. 8-12. This receptor means comprises acylindrical cap element having an end wall 34 and a cylindrical sidewall portion 35 adapted to be fitted over the external surface of thecrankcase breather tube B in place of the cap normally employed, saids-ide wall portion being provided with `a plurality of inwardly biasedspring fingers 36 bent out of the plane of the side wall and adapted toyieldingly engage the side surface of the breather tube. Adjacent theupper end thereof, the side wall 35 carries a tube 37 etxendingdiametrically thereacross from an opening 38 in the side wall andstopping short of the diametrically opposite portion of the side wall.The said opposite portion of the side wall is provided with an opening39 in axial alignment with the tube 37 and externally of said side wallportion, said opening 39 carries a nipple 40 which is connected, byconduit means to be presently described, to a portion of the muler body.

Immediately above the tube 37 within the 4body 35 is a screen partition41 which is spaced from the end wall 34 and disposed in the spacebetween the screen and the end wall is Ia ring-shaped electricalresistance heater 42 adapted to be connected by leads 43 extendingthrough the top wall 34 to a source `of electrical energy. A rivet 44disposed in the axial 4line of the body 35 extends through the end wall34, the screen 41 and the tube 37 to hold them in position; said springalso extending through the midportion of a leaf spring element 36 ofinverted U-shape which engages the inner surface of the breather tube Bto hold said leaf spring in assembly with the body 35 and end wa-ll 34.The side wall 35 is circumferentially perforated as at 45 producinginwardly and downwardly projecting tongues 46 as best shown in FIGS. 9,10 and 11 and -generally similar to the tongues 29 except that they arenot necessarily helically disposed. The end of the tube 37 adjacent theopening 39 is provided with a cylindrical body 47 disposed therein; saidbody having axially disposed bore 48 extending therethrough and saidbore tapering toward the opening 39.

The nipple 40 is connected to one end of a flexible metal conduit 5which extends rearwardly therefrom. Since the breather tube is generallyat the forward end of the engine, the opening 38 will be in the path oftravel of air impelled by the radiator cooling fan of the vehicle. Thenipple 40 is similarly provided with an axial bore tapering downstreamand air from the fan blast through the tube 37 is heated by the heater42 and enters this nipple drawing with it not only fumes from the openend of the crankcase breather tube but also air yfrom the space betweenthe wall of the breather tube and the side wall 35 and the jet issuingfrom the tube 37 thus directs such fumes and air into the conduit 5. Theconduit 5 is led rearwardly of the chassis and is connected to andcarried by the exhaust pipe E by any suitable means such as, forexample, the clamp elements 5t) which serve also as heat ltransfer meansto heat the conduit 5 and the air and fumes passing therethrough. At itsrearward end, it is connected to the stem 51 of a Y-tting 52 having theY-ends 53 thereof provided with external peripheral beads 54 whichengage grooves 55 formed as part of openings 56 which constitute a pairof inlet parts in the front end wall ofthe muffler body in alignmentwith the side walls 12 thereof.

The meeting faces of the side walls 12 are provided with longitudinallyextending grooves which combine to form conduit means 57 extendingrearwardly from the openings 56 and thus being in communication with theconduit 5. The tapering rear portions 14 of the muffler side walls aresomewhat thicker than the parallel portions of the side `walls and thewall portions forming the faces of the conduit 57 adjacent the inside ofthe muler extend part way across the face of said thickened portions 14of t-he side walls as at 53 and other wall portions 59 at the innerfaces of said side wall portions combine with the portions 58 to formchannels 59 extending from a point adjacent to and downstream of thecross wall 17 to the upstream end of the sleeve portion 3. The sidewalls 12 between the conduit 57 and the interior of the muler areprov-ided with a plurality of laterally outwardly and rearwardlyextending ports 61 between the interior of the mufller body and theconduit means 57 spaced from the cross wall 15 to the downstream side-of the cross wall 17 and downstream of the last of such ports 61 arerearwardly and inwardly extending ports 62. Additionally, the wallportions 59 are each provided with transverse ports 63.

The hot exhaust gases traveling through the muffler body or at least aportion of them will pass through the ports 61 into the channelsconstituting the conduit means 57 accelerating the ow of gasestherethrough and applying at least a slight vacuum in the conduit means5 assisting the fan blast in drawing fumes from the crankcase and airalong the sides of the breather tube through the conduit means 5 and 57for eventual discharge at the downstream end of these means with someincidental discharge through the ports 62 and 63. The hot exhaust gaseshaving heated the interior of the mufiler and particularly the side andcenter tube components thereof, the oxygen supp-ly as well as theunburned gas supplied from the crankcase will be ignited within themuffler and thus will be more completely oxidized than if an afterburner effect had not thus been created.

While in the foregoing specification there has been disclosed apresently preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention is not tobe deemed to be limited to the precise details of construction thusshown by way of example, and it will be understood that the inventionincludes as well all such changes and modifications in the parts and theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come withinthe purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combined muler and oxidizer means for the exhaust gases of aninternal combustion engine comprising an elongated hol-low body ofgenerally uniform transverse cross section formed of identical halvesbolted together along the sides of said body and oxidizing means withinsaid body comprising a series of longitudinally extending tubes disposedwithin said body and provided with inwardly projecting, integrallyformed fin elements arranged in helical rows, at least one of said pipeshaving a second smaller pipe arranged concentrically therewithin andheld in said concentric relation by the iin elements of said rst pipe.

2. A combined mufller and oxidizer means as claimed,

in claim 1 in which said body forming members are provided With aplurality of oppositely disposed transverse partitions having oppositelydisposed semicircular notches and in which said pipes are provided withperipheral grooves adapted to engage said notches Whereby clamping thehalves of said muffler body together by the connecting `bolts serves toposition said pipes in place within said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 2,203,5546/1940 Uhri et al. 60-30 2,396,952 3/1946 Huber 60--30 X 2,837,1696/1958 Sawyer 60--30 X 2,986,000 5/ 1961 Gerlach 60-30 3,050,376 8/1962Bishop et al. 60-30 X FOREIGN PATENTS 233,888 4/1911 Germany.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner'.

0 EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, SAMUEL LEVINE,

1. A COMBINED MUFFLER AND OXIDIZER MEANS FOR THE EXHAUST GASES OF ANINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY OFGENERALLY UNIFORM TRANSVERSE CROSS SECTION FORMED OF IDENTICAL HALVESBOLTED TOGETHER ALONG THE SIDES OF SAID BODY AND OXIDIZING MEANS WITHINSAID BODY COMPRISING A SERIES OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TUBES DISPOSEDWITHIN SAID BODY PROVIDED